Sinkhole south of Tracy closes northbound Interstate 5

The California Department of Transportation has closed a portion of northbound Interstate 5 south of Tracy after maintenance crews discovered a sinkhole Tuesday morning on the shoulder of the highway.

Greg Lawson, a Caltrans spokesman, said crews performing routine maintenance found the sinkhole, and Caltrans closed northbound I-5 at noon Tuesday to investigate the problem and undertake repairs.

Northbound motorists are being diverted to eastbound Highway 132, then northbound on Highway 33 back to I-5 in a 6- to 7-mile detour, Lawson said. He said Caltrans expects to have the section of northbound I-5 reopened by Thursday afternoon.

This story was originally published May 31, 2016 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Sinkhole south of Tracy closes northbound Interstate 5."